From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Owensboro, Ky.

All info appreciated!!! Peace, Wayne

4/2/2008 1:58:42 PM

Adams County

Wayne mine poped up today, using only florescent bulbs and room temp.

4/2/2008 7:14:28 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

This: http://gvgo.ca/articles/rivington_germ_tut01.html

Was for pumpkins, but I followed the same steps with watermelons and it worked perfectly.

4/2/2008 8:41:27 PM

Bowdon, GA

Wayne,
I set mine under an electric blanket, I try to keep them between 80 and 90 degrees. Giant watermelons recommends a heat pad set at 91. They say germinating temps are similer to okra and purple hull peas. I planted saturday and one was coming up this morning. Was getting a little worried though my dad used the same method and all of his were coming up yesterday. He did plant seeds from a smaller melon though. I'm prayin the rest flow suit. Carolina Crosses seem a little harder to germinate then regular melons. I think they need a little higher temp. The first year I tried them I planted in the garden with the rest of my melons and had a terrible germination rate. Since then I've always started them inside. I would think that methods for starting AG's would work for Carolina Crosses, but once again I'm no expert.

4/3/2008 12:25:22 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

One of these days I am going to rig up a really cool way to germinate seeds, with a heating pad, or waterbed mattress or something. Right now I just throw lots of seeds at it and I typically get the plants that I want. Of course, what if you only have one seed of a particularly great variety...Well, then I would be in trouble.

Cheers!

4/3/2008 4:42:22 PM

Williamsburg,KY

Wayne, If you start your seed in soil, remember just because the air in the room is 80 degrees, doesnt mean the soil is 80 degrees. I bot a meat thermometer that starts at 0 to 220 degrees. It was only about $7, well worth it. You can then tell the soil temps. I plan on starting my seed with the paper towel method and them plant in a pot. I only have one seed so I will keep the temp aroung 80 and make sure once planted that the soil temps stays high until it breaks ground. I use a piece of syrofoam on the bottom, then my heating pad (from the drugstor) and a towel folded to regulate the temps and them my seeds. I will place my seeds in the paper towel in a ziplock and use the thermometer under the ziplock to monitor temps. Hope this helps. I had trouble last year starting seed without bottom heat, once I used bottom heat the seeds germinated in about two days. Also, file the edges of the seeds carefully. For my just eating watermelons, I have more seed, so I will directly sow in a pot with bottom heat. Ok, what does everyone else has to say, thats my way. Croley Bend..

4/4/2008 7:17:39 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks to all for the responses!!! Stevann, I have bottom heat and a soil temp thermometer!!! I can regulate my soil temps!!! I have a fairly large styro cooler that sits on top of a oil filled room heater, 2 diff. wattage settings, plus an adjustable thermostat type thing on it!!! Temp control, of the growing medium is fairly simple, if I put my pots full of starting medium in 3 or 4 days b/4 the seeds go in.
One ?, I still have....file melon seeds like AG seeds, and do p/towel method?? I am guessing Jordan R. says yes!!! Thanks again!!! Peace, Wayne

4/4/2008 1:23:09 PM

Williamsburg,KY

Opps, I had pumpkin on my mind when I said one seed..I have enough melon seeds.. Im gonna have to do some fancy germinating on my pumpkins this year. I'll talk about that another time. Good Luck Wayne. I started some eaters today. The watermelon seeds I have, I reckon, are all Caroline Cross..they are 90 days right?? So I have plenty of time before I plant for Nancy..Croley

4/4/2008 2:37:49 PM

Williamsburg,KY

OH, one more thing..the signs are good for April 11-12 for above ground plants. That is if anyone is planting. I will also start some on the 11th and see which one out does the other. Croley

4/4/2008 2:39:37 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Stevann, 90 days?? starting when...pollination, or in the dirt??? PS...hoping for full moon sometime near the 11-12th of April?!?!?! Peace, Wayne Prbly still be way too wet here for me to plant anything, but hope to have 250# melon, and 1.4K# pkn at Nancy!!!! I can dream!!!! Peace, Wayne
Still wanting to know if'n folks file melon seeds??

4/4/2008 4:51:45 PM

Bowdon, GA

I've never payed much attention to the amount of time it takes from planting until harvest. But it seems alot longer than 90 days. I plant in late march or early april and if I remember correctly they will ussusally continue growing well into August. I leave em out there as long as I can and measure them to make sure they've quit growing. The old brown tendril method doesn't work on Carolina Crosses they will keep on growing after it is gone.

4/4/2008 6:51:48 PM

Williamsburg,KY

I read the 90 day maturity here in BP somewhere, but since then I have researched and most Carolina Cross watermelon days to maturity is 115-120 days. That is from germination of the seed. I have an email out and will let you know what I hear. As for filing the seed...why not..I file the seed edge. Croley

4/5/2008 10:01:05 AM

Mt Vernon Ky

wayne if you cant grow a pumpkin what makes you think you can grow a watermelon

4/5/2008 8:29:29 PM

porterville, calif.

I know a man that can and has grown 200lb. melons but cant,t grow a decent pumpkin.He has grown as many as 20 melons over 160 lbs in 1 season. I think maybe where he lives is better suited for melons than pumpkins.

4/6/2008 12:46:28 AM

Bethlehem CT

Hi Wayne, As a test this year I filed half my melon seeds and left the other half unfiled. I noticed that filing got the seeds up in a hurry. I think that it does make a huge difference in watermelons. I will definitely be filing all my seeds next year.

4/6/2008 11:58:08 AM

Bowdon, GA

I learned another trial and error lesson this week. I started some melons week before last and had a poor germination rate. I had the temp set in the low 80s. After five days only one had appeared. I turn it up to 91 and the next day three more appeared. I noticed that one of them was a little white on the end like it had began to rot. After no more come up I cracked a few open and sure enough they had rotted. All of my dad's melons came up in the low 80s temp range, but we check the soil moisture on both sets of seeds and found that his was about 15-20% dryer than mine. I found in a book that I have on gardening that correct soil moisture is just as important to germination as temp. Lucky I saved a few seed in case of a mess up(which is likely in my case). I'm going to start the last batch of seeds at 91 and reduce the amount of water and see how that goes.

4/7/2008 12:46:46 PM

Rochester, MN

This year I switched to a heating pad, regular no hole flat, 8" dome and my 4 lights per tier grow light...this kept the temp at 85-90 degrees. I also sanded the edges of the watermelon seeds and put them in a glad bags (one per type) in a damp paper towel. I was able to get 22 of 25 seeds to germinate...this was by far my best ever....I had run samples before using my "keeper" seeds in Feb and found this to be better than my older method. I also kept the pots and soil in the same dome and then moved the seeds into the dirt once they sprouted...so kept the same temp. You also want to keep the seeds moist so they break away easy from the cots..that is the tricky part.
My problem is overwatering after they once get going! ;-)
Good luck.

4/7/2008 10:21:17 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks all, I did not file, but am in a controlled temp setting, and will make sure they are just moist...hopefully good results will come!!! Peace, Wayne

4/8/2008 8:59:50 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

Here's a follow up on the comment about the season length for a giant watermelon. I am convinced it is much longer than a pumpkin.

These are all pretty close to being true for me, although if the weather holds, the melons will grow a little extra.

Germination March 15th
In Garden May 15th
Pollinated June 15th
Done growing September 15th

So...The plant lives approx: 180+ days
The fruit lives 90+ days.

Of course the fruit can be eaten earlier, it's doesn't seem fully ripe.

Just collating data as they say.

4/9/2008 11:17:58 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

First of all thanks for all of the responses...and, as stated earlier, I did not file, or soak, just put seeds into starting mix, just moist, and kept temps at 90F...(on Sun. 4/6...today4/10...10 of 11 are either up, or busting thru...my guess is that a higher temp is more important than filing or soaking!!! Just my guess tho!!! Thanks again!! Peace, Wayne

4/10/2008 7:59:39 PM

Bowdon, GA

I had much better sucess with the seeds I had left. I kept check on the moisture content with a meter and raised the temp to 91. I also filed them, but I also think temp and not getting them to wet is the key. All but one have come up and it's only been 4 days. I guess mistakes are the best education. I also think melon man is right on the life of the plant. I think I may have picked some of mine into September.

4/11/2008 6:26:28 PM

Lexington, Ky

LMAO @ Vic..... ;}

4/14/2008 8:46:54 AM

Mt Vernon Ky

jammie give me a call when you can thanks vic 6062564704

4/14/2008 11:06:22 PM

California High Desert CinnamintStick@msn.com

I started my yellow flesh watermelon seeds in a heated 90 degree room. I put them directly in potting soil get a head start. I wanted melon for the 4th of July. I have my corn in too.

Now I am starting my Carolina cross seeds. I soaked them over night then wrapped them in a paper towel and put them in my yogurt maker with the lid off for added heat. This is how I start my pumpkins too, only I file them. In 18 hours the first started rooting. 24 hours most have roots. I don't know if all will geminate. Maybe??? I bought them on E-bay and hoping for a big one.

5/5/2008 11:56:11 AM